Wing assembly for missiles



0. B. OLSSON WING ASSEMBLY FOR MISSILES Oct. 16, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 11, 1960 INVENTOR. OLOF 552771.. OLSSON BY Arnmrnr Oct. 16, 1962 o. B. OLSSON WING ASSEMBLY FOR MISSILES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 11, 1960 INVENTOR.

OLOF BER TIL OLS N A men F United States Patent i 3,058,422 WING ASSEMBLY FOR MISSILES Olof Berti! Olsson, Bofors, Sweden, assignor to Aktiebolaget Bofors, Bofors, Sweden, a corporation of Sweden Filed Apr. 11, 1960, Ser. No. 21,285 Claims priority, application Sweden Apr. 13, 1959 4 Claims. (Cl. 102-50) This invention relates to projectiles and rockets and, more particularly, to a wing therefor having a fixed wing part and a folding flap which is spring actuated into the position in which it forms an extension of the fixed wing part.

Ordinarily, it is desirable to fire projectiles or rockets from a tube of the smallest possible dimensions, thus requiring a wing for the projectile having such a folding flap. In order to provide stability in the trajectory of the projectile or rocket, it is necessary that the flap assumes the position in which it forms an extension of the fixed wing part and is secured in such position as rapidly as possible after the firing of the projectile or rocket. Accordingly, it is usually desirable to make the spring which actuates the flap as strong as possible and to provide an efficient and effective locking device to secure the flap in the extended position. However, because of space and weight requirements, the size of the spring must be minimized, making it important that the locking device for securing the folding flap in the spring actuated position be extremely reliable so as to secure positively .the flap immediately after it has assumed its extended position. Wherever the locking device does not secure the flap in its extended position, air and side pressures acting upon the flap will prevent the main spring from returning the flap into the desired position at any time after the initial firing of the projectile or rocket. It is therefore an object of :the present invention to provide a wing for projectiles or rockets in which the flap is securely locked in proper position immediately after assuming such position as an extension of the fixed wing part, in'an eflicient, effective, and reliable manner.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an operating assembly for moving the folding flap of a projectile or rocket wing into an extended position relative to the first wing part and which includes self-actuating locking means for retaining such flap in an extended position, in a reliable and fool-proof manner.

In accordance with the present invention, a spring actuated bolt is arranged upon the fixed wing part for movement between an initial position in which it permits the flap to be rotated from an initial to an extended position, following which it engages with a cooperating part of the flap to secure such flap in the extended position. The locking device normally retains the locking bolt in a retracted position and is responsive to the movement of the flap to the completely extended position to release such locking bolt for movement immediately before or upon the movement of the flap to the extended position so as to lock the flap in such extended position.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view, with parts broken away, of a wing assembly made in accordance with the present invention showing the flap in a position in which it forms an extension of the wing;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 but showing the wing assembly with the flap in a tilted position;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view of certain parts of the present invention with the flap in an initial position out of an extended position relative to the fixed wing part; and

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3, showing the pants in response to movement of the flap to the extended position relative to the wing.

Referring now to the drawing, a wing assembly made in accordance with the present invention is shown to include a plastic fixed wing part 1 and a plastic wing flap part 2, A torsion spring 3 is mounted in the folding flap part and is secured at one end to the flap part (not shown) and at the opposite end to a support 5 of a light alloy part 4 cast into wing part 2. Flap 2 is rotatably supported on wing 1 by means of a support stud 5 extending from casting 4 into a corresponding bore in wing 1. The turning force for the flap is supplied by torsion spring 3 which is twisted when the fiap is in the position of FIG. 3. Casting 4 is further provided with a lower lug having an oblique cam surface 6 and an upper locking lug 7. An oblique surface 7a of the upper lug 7 faces a corresponding oblique surface 8a of a locking bolt 8 that is slidably carried by the fixed wing part 1.

A helical coil spring 9 mounted in a cavity of wing 1 and encircling a portion of a movable bolt 8 exerts an outward pressure upon the bolt 8 tending to move it upwardly toward an extended position. However, a catch pin 10 slidably supported within a transversely extending opening in the bolt 8, is urged by a leaf spring 11, mounted within an axial bore 11a in the bolt 8, toward an outwardly extended locking position in engagement with a shoulder 1a of the fixed wing part 1, thus preventing an upward movement of the locking bolt 8 by the spring 9.

The outermost end of the catch pin 10 is in the path of movement of the cam surface 6 of the lower lug on the casting 4, so that upon movement of the flap with the casting 4 toward the extended position, the cam surface 6 will urge the catch pin 10 inwardly against the action of the leaf spring 11, to release the locking bolt 8 for movement upwardly toward locking engagement with the upper lock lug 7 of the casting 4. During such movement, the oblique surface 8a of the locking bolt 8 will slidably engage with the corresponding surface 7a of the lock lug 7, to draw the flap into alignment with the fixed part 1.

The flap 2 is prevented from passing its centered position in alignment with the fixed part 1 by a stop member 12 integral with the fixed wing part 1 and a facing lug 13 of the casting 4, thus assuring the proper alignment of the flap with the fixed part of the wing and the positive locking together of the parts by the lock bolt 8 and the lock lug 7.

It will now be appreciated that the spring 9 can be made comparatively strong as it does not obstruct the movement of the flap toward the centered position shown in FIGURES l and 3, such spring 9 acting upon the locking bolt 8 only after the flap has been put into proper alignment with the fixed wing part 1.

While this invention has been described with particular reference to the construction shown in the drawing, it is to be understood that such is not to be construed as imparting limitations upon the invention which is best defined by the claims appended hereto.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A wing assembly for projectiles and rockets comprising, in combination, a fixed wing part, a folding flap part, a stud extending from one part and journalled in the other for rotatably supporting the flap on the wing part, torsion spring means yieldably acting between said fixed part and said folding flap for effecting rotation of said folding flap from an initial toward an adjusted position relative to said fixed part, said flap in said adjusted position forming an aligned extension of said fixed wing part, a bolt slidably carried in said fixed wing part for longitudinal movement transversely to the axis of rotation of the flap from a retracted position into an extended position engaging said flap to secure the same in said adjusted position, a spring in said fixed wing part yieldably urging said bolt toward said extended position for engagement with said flap, a releasable locking device securing said bolt in said retracted position, and a lug carried by said flap actuating said locking device toward a released position in response to rotation of said flap into said adjusted position in which it forms an extension of said wing part.

2. A wing assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said folding flap includes a lock lug movable past said bolt in response to a rotation of the flap toward said adjusted position, and said bolt extending into locking engagement with said lock lug in response to release of said locking device.

3. A wing assembly as set forth in claim 2, wherein the outermost end of said lock bolt defines an oblique surface, said lock lug of said folding flap defining an oblique surface facing said oblique surface of said bolt, and outward longitudinal movement of said lock bolt axially into engagement with said lock lug effects sliding movement between said oblique surfaces of said lock other to permit rotation of the flap in reference to the wing part, torsion spring means yieldably acting between said fixed wing part and said folding flap for effecting rotation of said folding flap from an initial position toward an adjusted position relative to said fixed wing part, said flap in said adjusted position forming an aligned extension of said fixed wing part, a bolt slidably carried by said fixed wing part for movement from a retracted position into an extended position engaging said flap to secure the same in said adjusted position, a spring yieldably urging said bolt toward said extended position for engagement with said flap, a releasable locking device for securing said bolt in said retracted position, a lug carried by said flap actuating said locking device toward a released position in response to rotation of said flap into said adjusted position in which it forms an extension of said wing part, said locking device comprising a catch pin, said bolt having a transversely extending bore slidably supporting said catch pin therewithin, and yieldable means acting upon said catch pin to urge the same into a securing position with said bolt.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,923,241 House Feb. 2, 1960 2,924,175 Jasse Feb. 9, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,191,519 France Oct. 20, 1959 

